Synopsis
After a round of demonic possession Iron Fist was taken to an otherdimensional realm with the Eye Of Agamotto. Due to his protection by the sigil of the dragon Shou-Lao on his chest he wasn't instantly disintegrated plus the adversaries couldn't take the amulet from him. Meanwhile the sky over New York turned orange and was rent asunder letting in an army of unknown silent ghost-like demons to be fought by the New Avengers plus Dr Strange, Daimon Hellstrom and Dr Voodoo, the current Sorcerer Supreme. Then the head foe revealed himself to Danny Rand as the (dead) Ancient One, DrS's old mentor, who claimed that this was all Stephen Strange's fault.
We open with Luke Cage, Mockingbird, Ms Marvel, Spider-Man, Thing, Victoria Hand and Wolverine attacking demons in various ways. But Spidey is also trying to convince his allies that it's not doing any good.
So we cut to the 3 mystics now convened in the New Orleans Sanctum Sanctorum of Jericho Drumm. 2 of them are studying magical tomes but Hellstrom protests that with what the 3 of them know between them they should be able to figure out what's going on without all this reading. DrV ignores him and asks Stephen to consider old foes like Baron Mordo, Dr Doom or the various rulers of the Dark Dimension. Strange dismisses this because it wouldn't benefit any of them to let others invade the place that they themselves covet. Daimon suggests it's some crazy who just wants to destroy the place. Strange admits various possibilities but wonders why they need the Eye to succeed. Hellstrom points out that they now *have* the Eye so they *are* succeeding. DrS asks as he has before who could be powerful enough to earlier possess both himself and Daimon, Son Of Satan? Jericho reminds them that the demons took the spirit of his dead brother Joshua as well as Iron Fist, and he hopes that the 2 of them are battling the foes somewhere. Stephen doesn't hold out that much hope. Hellstrom asks them to show him what's happening back in New York. DrV complies and they see the scene of chaos described above.
Cage suggests to the others that they should call the other Avengers and the Fantastic Four. But then he's literally smothered by a horde of wraiths. Until he's rescued by his flying super-wife Jessica Jones zooming in after taking their baby Danielle to her mother Alisa in New Jersey (who has never approved of Luke). But the demon assault is relentless. As she flies him above the carnage Ms Marvel flies past and tells Jess to drop Luke in the middle of the Guggenheim Museum where the demon horde seems thickest. But she herself is going to fly through the rent in the sky to see what's on the other side and hopefully close it.
The 3 mages think this is a very bad idea and Dr Strange sends his astral self to Carol Danvers' side. The superstrong woman finds the hole isn't hot as she expected but still screams with pain as she enters it. Jessica lets her husband fall, with his willing consent, and flies to her friend's aid. Strange pulls Danvers' screaming astral self from her body which also starts to fall, but Jess catches it. And on the ground Thing catches Cage's heavy body. Astral DrS takes astral MsM to the Guggenheim roof and telepathically tells Jessica to bring the body here. Cage, Thing and Hand fight to stop demons converging on them while Stephen gets Carol's soul back into her body.
But no sooner has he finished than the demons withdraw, the sky lightens and the rift closes. It's last act is to drop a body into the sky.. Recovered Ms Marvel flies to catch it, and DrV and DH teleport with DrS's body to join the crowd. Everyone is astounded and relieved to see that the falling man is Iron Fist (with the colours of his costume transformed from green & gold to white & gold) still holding the Eye. But they're confused when his 1st action is to punch Strange (whose body and astral self have obviously been reunited). Danny claims that he's met the Ancient One who told him that Strange stole the Eye from someone. And all this trouble is because the Eye shouldn't be here on Earth and arrogant Strange has always known it. Stephen protests that the AO himself gave him the Eye (which is true). He asks how the dead AO appeared to Danny, but Rand keeps asking him *who* the amulet belongs to. DrS asks Danny for the Eye but IF just says that the demons will return worse than ever unless Strange answers the question.
Story 2: Avengers Assemble - the oral history of the Earth's mightiest heroes Chapter 6 part 2.
Written by Brian Michael Bendis with an illustration by Scott Kolins & Wil Quintana.
Part 1 of this chapter was in Avengers #5. It covered the original Avengers resigning except Captain America (and Rick Jones). Hawkeye was recruited. Now this half continues with the arrival of Quicksilver and the Scarlet Witch, mutants who had previously been in Magneto's 'terrorist' Brotherhood Of Evil Mutants.
Pietro Maximoff sent a letter to the Avengers asking if he and his sister Wanda could join. Henry Pym remembers Tony Stark being interested but he himself wanted to arrest the terrorists. Stark thought everyone deserved a 2nd chance, but mainly he wanted mutants on the team to counter anti-mutant hysteria. The X-Men were mutants fighting for mutants but he wanted the Avengers to be bigger than that. Janet Van Dyne thought it was a mutant trap but Stark didn't see what it would gain them.
Hank says he was won over when he met them. They were just teenagers who'd had a bad start. Jan says Wanda is now 1 of her best friends. Magneto was actually their father but they didn't know that. Their mother had died birthing the twins in Wundagore, hiding so that their father couldn't find them. Pietro says they were adopted by gypsies who told them they were orphans when they were old enough to understand. The twins developed their powers but didn't know anything about mutants. They had to flee the village when Wanda accidentally started a fire. Jan thinks it was the 1st time Wanda used her power and the fire killed her adoptive mother. But Pietro denies that bit.
Cap tells us that the twins taught each other to read and write. And to speak English, French and Spanish.
Jan says they eventually realised they were mutants. Pietro says they were relieved to discover there were other people like them. And when Magneto saved them from another angry mob they were happy to join him. They still believe he didn't know they were his children but Jan can't believe the coincidence. She thinks he knew he was their father but hid the fact for his own twisted reasons. Pietro just remembers that they were in a group that wanted them. Even when Maggy had them fighting the X-Men and committing acts of terrorism he tried to ignore how wring it was.
Scott Summers says he always knew Wanda didn't belong in Magneto's Brotherhood. He tried to get through to her but her overprotective brother told her they had to do what Magneto wanted. And the X-Men were afraid of her because of how powerful her ability could conceivably be. They were relieved when they heard that the twins had joined the Avengers. Wanda had gotten away from her father, now he hoped she could get away from her brother. Jan says Pietro is annoyingly unlikeable but but he had a rough childhood and he really cares for Wanda. Tony says he fancied her as soon as he met her but 1 look from her brother warned him off.
Cap says it was a shrewd move of Pietro's to join the Avengers because it changed public perception of the pair and kept them safe from Magneto. Pietro says they were in hiding and had vowed never to use their powers again. But the Avengers' membership drive was a lifeline.
Clint Barton says he was exited to join the original Avengers but the final line-up was a big disappointment. Jan says Tony held a press conference to introduce the new team, but the press were somewhat underwhelmed. Clint and Cap remember the headline "Captain America's Kooky Quartet". Clint is embarrassed looking back at his arrogance in thinking he'd make a better leader than Cap. But Pietro remembers it as a big moment for him and Wanda.
Chapter 7 in Avengers #5 will consider reactions to the new team, centred around their meeting with the Swordsman in Av#19-20.